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Places featuresYou are in: Nottingham > Places > Places features > There's an asylum in our back yard  There's an asylum in our back yardMapperley residents want to restore part of a 19th century asylum which resides in their communal garden. In the grounds of what was the old Nottingham Borough Asylum, Mapperley, is a 19th century chapel and theatre.  Inside the old chapel Neil Heatley is a resident at the City Heights development, which used to be part of the asylum. Neil describes the moment he discovered the chapel. "I walked to this part of the estate and saw the chapel and I was absolutely amazed. "I pulled back the bushes and found the foundation stones when the Nottingham Borough Asylum was first built." Another resident Edwina Seddon says she'd like the theatre to be, "brought back to its original glory."  The dilapidated old asylum, Mapperley RestorationThe chapel and the dilapidated theatre, where patients put on shows, is in need of restoration. Despite knowing how much work needed to be done, Lee Blagdon still bought the building. "We completely fell in love with it... "I've had sleepless nights over it. I've come up with so many suggestions as to what to do. It all comes back subject to planning." Help playing audio/video Lee has thought about living there and says he'd even keep the stage. last updated: 29/05/2009 at 11:13 SEE ALSOYou are in: Nottingham > Places > Places features > There's an asylum in our back yard Mapperley AsylumThe Borough of Nottingham Lunatic Asylum opened on August 3 1880. It was designed by local architect George Thomas Hine, son of TC Hine. As well as the theatre and chapel, the asylum had its own farm, bakery and butchery. The hospital finally closed its doors to patients in December 1994.
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